Reuters reported Monday, citing shipping data, that the Panama-flagged very large crude carrier Idemitsu Maru, managed by a unit of Japanese refiner Idemitsu Kosan, passed through the strait carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi crude.
Reuters said it was the first passage by a Japan-linked crude carrier since U.S.-Iran clashes began on Feb. 28. The vessel was seen moving east near Iran’s Larak Island, the report said.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the Idemitsu Maru crossed with explicit Iranian permission, citing Iran’s state-run Press TV and data from ship-tracking platform MarineTraffic.
Nikkei and the Asahi Shimbun, citing a senior Japanese government official, reported the ship did not pay a separate transit fee. The official called the passage “the result of negotiations by the Japanese government.”
The transit, however, does not signal a full return to normal traffic. Reuters said only seven ships passed through the strait over the past day, far below the prewar level of 125 to 140 a day. Markets have viewed the move as a sign of limited, selective passages rather than a full reopening.
Tensions in the oil market also persisted. Reuters reported international crude prices rose nearly 3% on concerns about supply disruptions through Hormuz, underscoring that broader shipping flows have yet to return to normal levels.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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